Name: Holy Fuck
Where and when: Dance level, 3.25pm, Reading
Dress code: Well-nurtured beards and crumpled T-shirts.
Who's watching: The die-hard fans push to the front, leaving those curious about the band because of their profane name to nod approvingly from the sidelines.
In a nutshell: Streamlined subservient Krautrock doesn't sound like it has "Reading fete" written all over it. But Ontario's Holy Fuck tick all the correct boxes for those wHO appreciate their experimentalism and pulsating rhythms in rival measures. The set largely comprises of recent albums Holy Fuck and LP, with the tracks Lovely Allen and Super Inuit providing notable highlights. The band want showmanship, either because they're too busy concentrating on the euphony or because they're minus a frontman, but with no lead-in singer Holy Fuck tend to withdraw into themselves onstage and this can leave them looking a little aloof. Add to that the way their music bathroom be either totally riveting or completely impenetrable, and they begin feel like hard work on a sweaty Sunday afternoon.
High point: Seeing the handful of converts world Health Organization have no idea what's going on or what's coming adjacent, but world Health Organization close their eyes, raise their weaponry and go with it anyway. Either that or the mankind who had "I wear anal beads" written on his arm.
Low point in time: Several of the tracks ar extended for the welfare of a live show, which actually contributes to the slightly detached nature of their performance.
How hard do they rock? It's fair to say they let the music do the talking for them and, for three quarters of the crowd, that's pretty strong indeed. For the odd quarter, it flies right over their heads.
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